Paradise Lost

Through the complex character of Satan, Milton’s epic explores the theological issue of theodicy—that is, the question of how evil came into the world. Yet what is evil, and how is evil different from good? How does Milton represent these concepts? How is the conflict between good and evil reflected in the conflict between God and Satan?

Teaching Suggestion: You might wish to encourage students to reflect on Milton’s representation of good and evil without imposing their own definitions of these concepts. Once the class has established how Milton represents good and evil in Paradise Lost, you may ask students whether or not they agree with him and why.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who would benefit from assistance with abstract thinking, it might be useful to set frames or context for students to answer this question in a classroom discussion. For example, students might benefit from thinking about good and evil on a more concrete level: What makes a friend good or evil? What makes an action good or evil: the outcome or the intention? In Milton’s epic, what does God do that is good, or what does Satan do that is evil? Alternatively, students could enter the discussion by first defining good and then defining evil, followed by a discussion of categorizing teacher-selected episodes from the epic.